June 18, 2024

Part of my making the bed ritual each morning is to look out the window at the back yard. I give thanks for another night of rest and greet the day. This is what I saw when I lifted the shade yesterday morning. Rain. Again.

Yes, it was a gentle rain; the kind of rain that nurtures growth and green. Nonetheless, rain. Again. We have had a lot of rain recently and at first, we hesitated to complain because last summer the refrain was “Oh no, another day without rain.” We crawled through the dry, hot days. We despaired in the drought. We sighed in the dusty and dying lawns.

Now we say, “Our prayer was heard,” but underneath that relief, we mutter in irritation, “Why does it have to rain every weekend?” and “Enough is enough.”

Are we never satisfied? (No, probably not.)

Underneath our Minnesota Nice exterior, and yes, that is a thing, we Minnesotans tend to complain about the weather. A Lot. And when we have the weather we want, we wonder when the other shoe will drop. We shake our heads knowingly, saying, “This won’t last.”

Last winter we had no snow. Oh, a couple minor snowfalls, but no blizzards, no “Snow Days,” and not even severe cold. Snowblowers stayed in the garages and our warmest, heaviest Norwegian sweaters were hardly worn. All our preparations for the kind of winter we know and understand were not needed this past year.

More than one person was heard to announce, “We’ll pay for this.”

And then much to our surprise, we experienced a spring that was truly a spring with cool to warm temperatures and flowers and trees that unfolded their beauty. So often here we seem to be granted a day or two of spring, and then summer lands heavy and hot. That was not the case this year and we charged to garden centers and planted window boxes and set up the patio furniture. “What a gorgeous spring,” we rejoiced to one another.

However, more than one person was heard to announce, “We’ll pay for this.”

And now right on schedule when we are all set to enjoy days outside doing all the things we love to do in the summer in this state of 10,000 lakes, here we are inside looking out through rain-splattered windows. It’s apparently payback time.

And soon, far too soon, someone will say, “We better enjoy these days because winter will soon be here.”

An Invitation

Does the weather affect your mood? I would love to know.

Note: My Husband’s Annual Garage Sale

Many of you have shopped my husband’s annual garage sale in the past and know what magic he creates with old unwanted furniture. He transforms chairs and dressers and tables and whatever gets in his way!!! This year’s sale is Friday and Saturday, June 21-22 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. 2025 Wellesley Ave, St Paul.

All proceeds go to benefit Lutheran Social Services programs for youth experiencing homelessness.

Access to the sale is through the alley only (between Wellesley and Stanford).